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Pennsylvania War History Commission 

APPOINTED BY 

PENNSYLVANIA COUNCIL OF NATIONAL DEFENSE 



COMMISSIONERS *^° OFFICERS 

FRrNKD.'B^RY COMMITTEE OF PUBLIC SAFETY william c. sproul 

HAMPTON L. CARSOxN CHAIRMAN 

rrwlL-'rr.T, HE..DQUARTERS ''■ "^^.I^J^S.';"™^^ 

JODN W. JORDAN ^ - Ml,tl.HAlK.MA.> 



ALBERT E. McKINLEY 

SECRETARY 



ALBERT E. McKLNLEY 1300 LOCUST STREET 

JOHN BACH MeMASTER 

THOMAS LITICH MONTGOMERY PHILADELPHIA 

If 1^ t ^,^^.^T,c / ' THOMAS LYNCH MONTGOMERY 



WILLIAM H. STEVENSON 
CHRISTOPHER WREN 



OUTLINE OF PURPOSE AND SCOPE 

GENERAL PURPOSE. The War History Commission is the official body appointed to 
make a permanent record of the miUtary, economic, and civic participation of Pennsylvania in 
the Great War. Its archives are filed in the fire-proof building of the Historical Society of 
Pennsylvania. The records are being arranged under subjects and subdivided into counties, 
so that they may be available in the future for local historians. 

PERMANENT MEMORIAL. The collection of the records of the war will include 
personal military records, the records of military and naval units in which Pennsylvania was 
represented, and the many-fold activities within the State during war-times. This collection 
will be of immense value as a picture of the exertions put forth by the State of Penns3-lvania 
to help win the war. In many respects it is the most fitting and most permanent memorial 
which can be erected to the three hundred and fifty thousand Pennsylvanians who entered the 
National Service, and to the millions of others at home who aided with personal ser-s-ice, with 
money, food, munitions, ships and manufactured goods to defeat the common enemy. 

PENNSYLVANIA'S RECORD IN THE WAR. The record of Pennsylvania and Penn- 
sylvanians in the Great War continues the great patriotic sex-vices performed by the State in 
the Revolution and the Civil War. The Twenty-eighth Division of the American Expedition- 
ary Force, made up of the National Guard of Pennsj'lvania, suffered greater casualties than 
any other division in France with the exception of three di^dsions of regulars. At home, 
Pcnnsj'lvania produced probably more than one-half of the munition supplies for the American 
Army; its mines furnislicd all the anthracite and a large portion of tlie bituminous coal of the 
country ; the Pennsylvania shores of the Delaware played a larger part in ship-building than 
any other district. In national finance, transportation, agriculture and in war-welfare \\ nrk 
Pennsylvania took an honorable part. The duty of the Pennsylvania War History Commis- 
sion is to record these varied activities. Every significant story of patriotic exertion and 
sacrifice, no matter how small or how great, deserves a place in the Commission's records. 



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I. MILITARY AND NAVAL RECORDS , ^ , "^^ 

The War History Commission includes within its archi^'es the service records of individual 
Pennsylvanians, and of those units in which Pennsylvanians predominated. 

1. INDIVIDUAL SERVICE RECORDS. The Commission has prepared a "service 
record blank" upon which may be reported the facts concerning the military or naval record 
of each person who has entered the national service, or the service of any of the Allies. 
These blanks can be used also for Red Cross, Y. M. C. A., K. of C, Y. M. H. A., and other 
workers who have undertaken service in camps or the field. 

The blanks have been circulated in every county of the State, and have been reprinted in 
manv newspapers. Already many thousands have been returned to the headquarters of the 
Commission. A large number of them have been accompanied with photographs, letters from ' "" 
camp or the front and other matter illustrating the person's war-time activities. For each 
name a folder is prepared, in which are deposited all records relating to the individual. These 
folders are filed under county headings. 

The Commission feels that the Service Record Blanks should be filled out and filed at 
once, even if all the desired information cannot be obtained. ]\Iany families may move from 
the State, some men in the serAdce may never return to their home State, and it is important 
that the service lists be completed at as early a date as possible. Copies of the blank will be 
sent to any one who can secure the records of one or more Pennsylvanians in the service, 

2. RECORDS OF MILITARY AND NAVAL UNITS IN WHICH PENNSYLVA- 
NIANS ARE REPRESENTED. The official records of these units must in time be secured 
from the National Departments at Wasliington. Already, however, much information is 
available in the form of War and Navy Department communications, in personal diaries, in 
newspaper correspondence and in private letters. The War History Commission is partic- 
ularly anxious to obtain personal narratives, diaries, and letters of officers and privates in both 
the Army and Navy. Where relatives wish to retain the originals, the Commission will gladly 
have copies made, and return the originals to their owners. 

II. WAR-TIME ACTIVITIES WITHIN THE STATE 

It is impracticable to list here aU the war-time activities of which the Commission desires 
facts, illustrations and narratives. The following topics are only suggestive, but they will give 
some idea of the field to be covered. 

1. AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SUPPLY. Under this topic are included the work of 
Granges, Farmers' Clubs, Farm Councils, the Rural Progress Association and similar bodies ; 
the activities of county food administrators ; the question of farm labor and ways of solving 
it ; the use of farm tractors ; the control of prices ; educational means of promoting agricul- 
ture ; methods of disseminating ideas of cooking and food conservation ; statistics of agricul- 
tural production ; personal narratives of farmers who met and solved new problems. 

2. MANUFACTURES AND SHLP-BUILDING. In the manufacturing field Pennsyl- 
vania contributed more to win the war than am' other State. Information is desired upon 
the; war activities of individual plants and establishments as well as organizations of manu- 
facturers. Valuable information can be obtained concerning plant extensions and adapta- 
tions for war work, the character and amount of the product and the problems faced and 



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« solved. The injurious eifect of the War upon "non-essential" industries will also be inter- 

J esting. 

3. TRANSPORTATION, TELEGRAPH, AND TELEPHONE. Both before and 
after the taking over by the Government of these public ser\ace corporations, the transpor- 
tation systems of Pennsylvania played a great part in the War. A large portion of all 
troops sent abroad passed through the State; thousands of motor trucks in long trains tra- 
versed the liighways of the State. Facts are being gathered concerning all these mattters. 

4. LABOR. Under this heading will be included the mobilization of the workers for war 
industries, under such topics as placements by labor bureaus, wage agreements, special train- 
ing for new industrial positions, housing problems, etc. 

^ nI>Aiiiv>j_j. J.I1I0 ...ii x..v-xuvie the Troik of banks and bankers in financing national 
loans, in financing war industries and similar activities ; the co-operative committees on W. S. 
S. and Liberty Loans, and the work of individuals and special corporations ; the share of 
Pennsylvania in national taxation, and the effect of taxation upon the State's industries; the 
work of the Capital Issues Committee in the State. 

6. COMMERCE AND COMMERCIAL ORGANIZATIONS. This topic covers the 
effect of the War upon the commerce of the State; the experiences of individual firms and 
corporations ; the work of the War Trade Board in the State ; foreign shipping as affected by 
the War ; the manifold activities of Chambers of Commerce and Boards of Trade. 

7. EDUCATION. How the War affected schools and colleges in attendance, char- 
acter of studies, numbers of teaching force, etc. ; and how the schools and colleges helped 
win the War by the patriotic exertions of teachers and pupils ; the Student Army Training 
Corps. 

8. WOMEN IN THE WAR. It is not the intention of the Commission to separate 
the work of women from that of men and children. All citizens were engaged in the under- 
takings listed under the headings here given. But in addition, highly important activities 
were carried on by many organizations composed wholly or largely of women. A record of 
all these activities is desired. 

9. THE MEDICAL AND DENTAL PROFESSIONS. Both at home and in the 
service medical and dental practitioners helped greatly. They aided the draft boards and the 
drafted man; they organized hospitals and brought modem science into the front line 
trenches. Personal narratives of individuals are desired as well as statistics of the activities 
of groups of professional men. 

10. OTHER PROFESSIONS. Each in its own way did its share. Most interesting 
narratives will be found among the lawyers who aided draft boards ; among scientific experts 
and engineers who developed new products and processes ; in the press, through its tremendous 
power over public opinion; among the artists who designed posters, donated paintings, de- 
vised camouflage schemes, and recorded in their works the happenings and spirit of war times ; 
and among musicians and theatrical artists who donated their services without stint to enter- 
tain the men in the service. 

11. CHURCHES, RELIGIOUS AND FRATERNAL ORGANIZATIONS AND SO- 
CIAL CLUBS. Scarcely a religious or social organization in the State did not play its part 
in the War, and each should make a record of its work. 



LIBRftRY OF CONGRESS 

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021 545 888 A ( 



12. WAR WELFARE ORGANIZATIONS. Many of these were formed for a special 
service and soon will cease their activities, if they have not already done so. The Commis- 
sion desires to obtain their original records, reports of activities, photographs and other illus- 
trations relating to their work. 

13. OFFICIAL BODIES. The Commission is gathering all possible material relating 
to war-time activities of the State and local governments, and of the National Government 
within Pennsylvania. 

14. PENNSYLVANIA COUNCIL OF NATIONAL DEFENSE AND COMMIT- 
TEE OF PUBLIC SAFETY. The activities of the Council and Committee and its county 
branches touched almost every subject mentioned in these pages. The War History Commis- 
sion is the official custodian of the records of the Cour:'"i' "^^ Ton-'vii^+pp anrl _of_its county 
branches. The Commission also desires individual narrativc& -irom ■ 'persons who co-operated 
with the Council and Committee in an}' capacity. 

III. CLASSES OF MATERIALS DESIRED 

The War History' Commission will file, catalogue and properly arrange historical ma- 
terials relating to any of the activities mentioned herein. The materials desired include (1) 
all kinds of printed matter relating to Pennsylvania's part in the War; (2) photographs, 
pictures and war-time mementoes; (3) files of newspapers and periodicals published in Penn- 
s\'lvania, or articles and books about Pennsylvania; (4) personal narratives of all kinds of 
war activity, whether in the ser\'ice, or in industrial, financial or welfare work at home; (5) 
manuscript minutes and reports of war organizations; (6) compilations showing the war- 
work of cities, boroughs and counties, of chambers of commerce, of educational institutions 
and of industrial establishments. 

IV. COMPILATION OF WAR HISTORY 

After the gathering of war records is completed, the Commission will undertake the 
compilation of a history of the deeds, records, and achievements of soldiers, sailors, marines, 
and of citizens and organizations of the Commonwealth active during the war with Germany 
and Austria. 

The Commission trusts that persons who engaged in war work will not let any natural 
feeling of modest}' prevent the preparation of a full and true record of Pcnns^'lvania in war- 
times. 

For further information address Albert E. McKinle}', Secretarj', Pennsylvania War His- 
tory Commission, 1300 Locust Street, Philadelphia. 



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